The Department of English at the College of Arts Holds a Scientific Seminar on Digital Distraction and Academic Motivation
Under the patronage and supervision of the Dean of the College of Arts, Professor Dr. Nabeel Omran Al-Khalidi, the Department of English at the College of Arts held a scientific seminar entitled:
Digital Distraction and Academic Motivation: Understanding Procrastination Among Students in the Age of Social Media
The seminar was presented by Asst. Lec. Dhu Al-Fiqar Abdulameer Hameed, as part of the scientific activities organized by the Department. The seminar aimed to enhance students’ academic and psychological awareness and to discuss contemporary challenges facing the educational process in light of the widespread use of digital technologies and social media platforms.
The seminar addressed the topic of digital distraction as one of the phenomena affecting university students’ academic lives, particularly with the increasing reliance on smartphones and digital platforms during study time. The lecturer explained that digital distraction is not limited to notifications or messages only; rather, it also includes repeated checking of applications, continuous browsing, short videos, and frequent shifting between academic tasks and digital content. Such practices may weaken concentration and reduce students’ ability to continue performing academic tasks.
The seminar also shed light on the relationship between digital distraction and academic motivation. It clarified that lost time is not the only problem caused by using social media while studying; the deeper impact lies in the decline of motivation after repeated interruptions from academic tasks. The lecturer discussed how digital platforms influence students’ attention through notifications, personalized recommendations, endless scrolling, and the quick rewards these platforms provide compared with delayed academic rewards.
The seminar further focused on the concept of academic procrastination as a problem of self-regulation, rather than merely a weakness in time management or a lack of seriousness. The lecturer explained that procrastination occurs when a student delays an intended task despite being aware of the expected negative consequences. This behavior is often associated with anxiety, boredom, low motivation, or the feeling that the task is difficult, which may lead the student to turn to social media as an easy means of temporary escape from academic pressure.
The seminar also referred to the Iraqi context as a young and highly connected digital environment. The increasing use of the internet and social media among young people makes the study of the relationship between digital behavior and academic motivation an important topic in university education. The lecturer emphasized that this phenomenon should not be addressed by blaming students, but by understanding the mechanisms of attention, self-regulation, and digital habits, as well as by designing study environments that help reduce distractions and strengthen concentration.
The seminar discussed several practical strategies that students can adopt to reduce digital distraction and improve their academic motivation. These strategies include turning off unnecessary notifications during study periods, keeping the phone away from the study area, using focus mode or application limits, dividing academic tasks into small achievable steps, adopting organized study sessions, and connecting academic goals with clear personal reasons that make learning more meaningful and sustainable.
The seminar aimed to enable students to understand digital distraction as a problem of attention and behavior, and to understand procrastination as a challenge related to self-regulation. It also introduced students to practical methods that can help them protect their study time and build more effective habits. The seminar emphasized that improving academic motivation does not depend on willpower alone; rather, it requires clear daily systems, an organized study environment, specific goals, and delayed rewards that reinforce achievement instead of replacing it.
This seminar comes within the framework of the Department of English’s commitment to addressing contemporary educational and psychological issues that affect university students’ lives. It also reflects the Department’s support for scientific activities that combine academic knowledge with practical application, contributing to the development of students’ awareness of effective learning methods and enhancing their ability to manage their time and attention in a changing digital environment.
The Department of English at the College of Arts Holds a Scientific Seminar on Imagination as Inspiration or Escape in Shelley’s Poetry
Under the patronage and supervision of the Dean of the College of Arts, Professor Dr. Nabeel Omran Al-Khalidi, the Department of English at the College of Arts held a scientific seminar entitled “Imagination as Inspiration versus Escape in Shelley’s Poetry,” presented by Asst. Lec. Ihab Mahdi Hilwas. The seminar was organized as part of the Department’s scientific activities aimed at promoting critical and literary awareness among students and researchers.
The seminar addressed the concept of imagination in English poetry, particularly in the poetry of the Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. It examined imagination as a creative power capable of transcending the limits of immediate reality and transforming personal emotional experience into images, symbols, and artistic meanings with broad human significance. The lecturer explained that imagination is not merely a tendency toward illusion or withdrawal from reality; rather, it is a poetic and intellectual tool that contributes to reshaping the world through language, imagery, metaphor, and symbol.
The seminar also focused on the mechanisms through which poetic imagination operates, including the use of sensory, visual, and auditory imagery, as well as metaphor, symbolism, and personification. It further highlighted the poet’s ability to give elements of nature human qualities, making them vivid and active within the poetic text. These artistic techniques help elevate individual emotions to the level of universal human experience, giving the poetic text aesthetic and intellectual depth.
The seminar shed light on the presence of imagination in Shelley’s poetry as a creative energy that goes beyond mere fantasy. In his poems, imagination appears as a force capable of animating nature, producing poetic visions, expressing deep emotions, and inspiring social and moral change. The lecturer discussed examples from Shelley’s poetry, including “Ode to the West Wind,” in which the wind becomes a symbol of destruction and renewal, and “To a Skylark,” in which the bird becomes a symbol of pure joy and poetic inspiration.
The seminar aimed to deepen students’ understanding of the importance of imagination in literary studies and to clarify its role in shaping the poetic vision of Romantic poets, particularly Shelley, who treated imagination as a means of creativity, transformation, and the pursuit of a more free and beautiful ideal world. The seminar also emphasized the importance of analytical reading of poetic texts, taking into account their artistic, intellectual, and symbolic dimensions, in a way that contributes to developing students’ critical and academic skills.
This seminar comes within the framework of the Department of English’s efforts to stimulate scientific and cultural activity within the College, support academic activities that connect theoretical knowledge with critical practice, and open broader horizons for students to understand English literature and its aesthetic and intellectual issues.
The Department of English at the College of Arts Discusses Outstanding Graduation Research Papers by Fourth-Year Students
Under the patronage and supervision of the Dean of the College of Arts, Professor Dr. Nabeel Omran Al-Khalidi, the Department of English at the College of Arts organized an academic session to discuss the outstanding graduation research papers submitted by fourth-year students. This initiative comes as part of the College’s and the Department’s commitment to promoting a culture of scientific research and consolidating rigorous academic standards in the preparation of undergraduate research.
The scientific committee formed within the Department of English undertook the task of discussing and evaluating these research papers, which had been selected as distinguished works at the departmental level. The discussions focused on the methodological and scholarly aspects adopted by the students in preparing their research, as well as the extent of their adherence to the steps of scientific research, the accurate use of sources and references, the clarity of the research problem, the soundness of analysis, and the consistency of the findings with the objectives of the study.
The session also aimed to assess the methodological foundations followed by the students and their supervisors in completing these research papers, while highlighting their scientific significance within the field of specialization, particularly in linguistic, literary, and translation studies related to English language studies. The scientific committee emphasized the importance of academic research as a fundamental component of university education and as an effective means of developing students’ skills in critical thinking, scientific analysis, and academic writing.
This discussion comes within the framework of the College of Arts’ interest in supporting distinguished student research outputs and encouraging students to further develop their research abilities. Such efforts contribute to enhancing the scientific and academic level of the Department and strengthening the role of scientific research within the university environment.
A training course at the College of Arts, University of Al-Qadisiyah, on personal productivity and performance efficiency
Under the patronage of the President of the University of Al-Qadisiyah, Professor Dr. Rahi Kalaf Mahdi Al-Yasiri, and under the supervision of the Dean of the College of Arts, Professor Dr. Nabil Imran Al-Khalidi, the Department of English Language at the College of Arts, University of Al-Qadisiyah, held a training course entitled “Personal Productivity and Performance Efficiency,” delivered by Assistant Lecturer Mustafa Arkan.
The course aimed to develop personal productivity and time-management skills among students of the Department of English Language, introduce students to the principles of the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and the mechanisms for applying them in practice, and enhance planning skills, goal setting, and prioritization.
A training course at the College of Arts, University of Al-Qadisiyah on Neuroscience and Language Learning: How the Brain Learns English
Under the patronage of the President of the University of Al-Qadisiyah, Professor Dr. Rahi Kalaf Mahdi Al-Yasiri, and under the supervision of the Dean of the College of Arts, Professor Dr. Nabil Imran Al-Khalidi, the Department of English Language at the College of Arts, University of Al-Qadisiyah, held a training course entitled “How the Brain Learns Language: What Neuroscience Reveals About Learning English.” The course was delivered by Assistant Lecturer Thulfiqar Abdulameer Hameed.
The course aimed to introduce students to the fundamentals of the relationship between the brain and language learning as a biological process in which the brain’s structure changes through training and practice, and to show how understanding learning mechanisms can improve study and teaching methods. It also addressed and corrected some common misconceptions about language learning among adults and children, emphasizing that success is linked to language input, practice, motivation, and study habits more than to “talent.”
The course discussed key themes, including that language is not located in a single “center” in the brain, but rather operates through a network of cooperating regions, with an explanation of the roles of areas such as Broca’s area in speech production and Wernicke’s area in language comprehension. It also highlighted the role of memory in acquiring vocabulary and consolidating grammatical patterns, and that fluency is closely related to the speed of retrieval developed through structured training.
On the practical side, the course explored the principles of spaced repetition and its effect in resisting forgetting, and the importance of the testing effect (retrieval is more effective than rereading) through practicing recall, explanation, and writing from memory followed by review. It also examined how pronunciation develops as a process of “perception then production” through training and feedback, and how the brain is “reconfigured” during reading by linking symbols to sounds and then to meaning—emphasizing depth of vocabulary and using words in context rather than mere memorization.
The course concluded with a set of study and teaching recommendations, most notably reducing cognitive load, making language input comprehensible through examples and context, and prioritizing practice over explanation to build fluency progressively.
Scientific workshop at the College of Arts, University of Al-Qadisiyah, on European Union opportunities available through the Erasmus+ Program
Under the patronage of the President of the University of Al-Qadisiyah, Professor Dr. Rahi Kalf Mahdi Al-Yasiri, and under the supervision of the Dean of the College of Arts, Professor Dr. Nabil Imran Al-Khalidi, the Department of English in the College of Arts— in cooperation with the Department of Scholarships and Cultural Relations at the University of Al-Qadisiyah—held a specialized workshop introducing European Union opportunities available through the Erasmus+ Program. The workshop was delivered by Dr. Asmaa Abdul Amir Ubeis, Ms. Amal Sharif Radi, and Mr. Hussam Ghilan.
The workshop aimed to introduce the Erasmus+ Program and its various types, especially student and staff mobility programs, capacity building, and international partnerships. It also sought to raise institutional awareness among university members of the importance of EU programs and their role in supporting the development of higher education; to explain the mechanisms for applying for Erasmus+ grants, the basic requirements, admission conditions, and timelines; and to enable lecturers and researchers to prepare competitive project proposals aligned with EU priorities in capacity building and student and faculty exchange programs. The workshop further encouraged colleges and academic departments to engage effectively in international projects and to build academic partnerships with European universities.
A scientific symposium at the College of Arts, University of Al-Qadisiyah, on the dynamics of culture and transformations of literary genre
Under the patronage of the President of the University of Al-Qadisiyah, Prof. Dr. Rahi Kadhf Mahdi Al-Yasiri, and the supervision of the Dean of the College of Arts, Prof. Dr. Nabil Imran Al-Khalidi, the Department of English at the College of Arts held a symposium entitled:
**“The Dynamics of Culture and Transformations of Literary Genre – New Types of the English and American Novel in the Twenty-First Century”**, delivered by Prof. Dr. Basim Nashmi.
The symposium addressed the central question: *How do literary genres emerge, change, and adapt to social, cultural, and historical transformations?* It also shed light on the transformations that have occurred and are occurring in literary genres, especially the novel, as these changes have led to the emergence of new literary forms in response to shifts in culture, which today is marked by its digital nature.
The symposium concluded by emphasizing the importance of reading literature, as literature plays a vital role in reinforcing human values, many of which have been eroded in the digital age.
A scientific symposium at the College of Arts, University of Al-Qadisiyah, on the role of Al-Ayn Foundation in strengthening social cohesion
Under the patronage of the President of the University of Al-Qadisiyah, Prof. Dr. Rahi Kalf Mahdi Al-Yasiri, and in the presence of the Assistant President of the University for Scientific Affairs, Prof. Dr. Sattar Al-Fatlawi, and under the supervision of the Dean of the College of Arts, Prof. Dr. Nabil Imran Al-Khalidi, the Department of English at the College of Arts, in cooperation with Al-Ayn Foundation, Diwaniyah Branch, held a symposium entitled:
“From Care to Leadership: The Role of Al-Ayn Foundation in Strengthening Social Cohesion,” delivered by Mr. Ali Habib.
The symposium addressed the services provided by the Foundation, which have benefited more than 203,000 orphans since 2006, as well as its projects such as “Al-Anjum Al-Zahira” (The Shining Stars) and “Hikayati” (My Story), which support orphans educationally and pedagogically. It also discussed the Foundation’s efforts in treating the psychological trauma of orphans and training them in manual/vocational professions.
The symposium further touched on the Foundation’s projects aimed at providing sustainable support for those in need, in addition to the religious and legal framework under which the Foundation operates, namely the authorization granted by His Eminence the Supreme Religious Authority, Sayyid Ali Al-Sistani (may his shadow endure).
With the participation of 127 research papers, the College of Arts at the University of Al-Qadisiyah held the events of the First International Conference of the Department of English.
Under the patronage and presence of the President of the University of Al-Qadisiyah, Professor Dr. Rahi Kalaf Mahdi Al-Yasiri, and under the supervision of the Dean of the College of Arts, Professor Dr. Nabil Imran Musa Al-Khalidi, the Department of English at the College of Arts, in cooperation with Al-Thakwat Foundation for Culture, Thought, and Arts, and Tasneem International Journal of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Legal Studies in Lebanon, organized the first international scientific conference titled:
“Visions in Language, Literature, and Teaching Methods in a Sustainable World: Scientific and New Perspectives in a Green World, Linking Sustainable Development to the English Language.”
The opening ceremony, attended by the University’s Vice President for Scientific Affairs, Professor Dr. Sattar Abdul Hassan Al-Fatlawi, along with a group of deans, researchers, and professors, began with the recitation of verses from the Holy Qur’an, followed by the recitation of Al-Fatiha for the souls of Iraq’s martyrs, and then the national anthem.
Afterwards, the Dean of the College of Arts, Professor Dr. Nabil Imran Musa Al-Khalidi, who also served as the Conference Chair, delivered his speech, followed by a speech from the Head of the English Department, Professor Dr. Mai Ali Abdul Amir, and then a speech by Professor Dr. Wissam Ahmed Al-Mutairi, Head of the Preparatory Committee of the conference. A documentary film was then shown about the College of Arts, highlighting its architectural development.
The opening session was chaired by Assistant Professor Dr. Ahmed Saad Aziz from the Department of English and included keynote lectures by:
Professor Dr. Basim Nashmi Jaloud, with a lecture titled “Environmental Aesthetics.”
Professor Dr. Hadeel Aziz Mohammed Redha, with a lecture titled “Socio-Economic Struggles and Interpersonal Dynamics: The Fractured Togetherness in Lynn Nottage's Sweat.”
The conference featured several themes, including:
Environmental linguistics,
Ecocriticism,
Methods of teaching English and ecology,
Sustainable development and sciences,
Humanities and their role in achieving sustainable development.
The conference hosted 127 research papers from various countries, including Lebanon, Nigeria, Algeria, Turkey, Morocco, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Sultanate of Oman, and Iraq.
The opening ceremony also included honoring the University President, the Dean of the College, as well as a number of distinguished researchers, supporters, and outstanding contributors.
College of Arts at Al-Qadisiyah University is hosting a scientific seminar on the role of artificial intelligence in revolutionizing education, under the patronage of the President of Al-Qadisiyah University, Prof. Kazem Jabir Al-Jubouri, and under the supervision of the Dean of the College of Arts, Prof. Nabil Imran Al-Khaldi. The Continuing Education Unit, in collaboration with the English Language Department, organized a scientific seminar titled "The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Revolutionizing Education." The seminar was presented by Asst. Lect. Thulfiqar Abdulameer Hameed, with the session chaired by Asst. Lect. Ehab Mahdi Hlawas. The seminar discussed how artificial intelligence can personalize education for each student according to their individual needs, enhancing the learning experience and helping to achieve maximum benefit from the time and effort expended. The ability of artificial intelligence to provide instant feedback and analyze student progress helps identify strengths and weaknesses, guiding students towards continuous improvement in their performance.
College of Arts at the University of Qadisiyah hosted an extensive seminar on the English language and its relationship with literary texts, with the participation of researchers from Britain and Finland, under the patronage of the President of the University of Qadisiyah, Professor Kazem Jabbar Al-Jabouri, and the supervision of the Dean of the College of Arts, Professor Nabil Imran Al-Khaldi, and in the presence of the Assistant President of the University for Scientific Affairs, Professor Star Abdul Hassan Al-Fatlawi. The College of Arts at the University of Qadisiyah held an extensive seminar for professors and students of the English Language Department, attended by some professors from Durham University in Britain and Helsinki University in Finland: Graham Philip / Durham University / Britain Christine Hooper / Durham University / Britain Stefan Smith / Helsinki University / Finland Prof. Basim Nashmi Jaloud and Assoc. Prof. Ahmed Saad Al-Husseini / College of Arts at the University of Qadisiyah / Conference Management, as visiting professors participating in the 9th International Scientific Conference to be held at the College of Archaeology at the University of Qadisiyah, Wednesday, 6-2-2024. The seminar included discussions on the exchange of the English language and English literature, the basics of language use, its history, origin, and the best way to practice it by simulating native speakers, as well as the elements of literary taste, in addition to the importance of world and English literature and how to appreciate it. The department professors also engaged in joint dialogues with the visiting professors. Some guidance was also provided to students by the foreign researchers as native language speakers and on developing reading methods and scientific approaches to keep pace with developments in the world.
With pride and honor, we are pleased to announce that Assistant Professor Dr. Hind Ahmed Kareem has been selected to receive the title of Ideal Professor, as part of the annual festival organized by the College of Arts at the University of Qadisiyah in celebration of Teacher's Day. Additionally, Dr. Basim Nashmi Jalood and Dr. Areej Mohammed Jawad were honored and selected as leading professors in the College of Arts.
The College of Arts at the University of Al-Qadisiyah is organizing a scientific symposium on Stoic Notions in Rudyard Kipling's "If", under the patronage of the President of the University of Al-Qadisiyah, Professor Dr. Kazem Jabir Al-Jubouri, and under the supervision of the Dean of the College of Arts, Professor Dr. Nabil Imran Al-Khaldi. The Continuing Education Unit at the College of Arts, in collaboration with the English Language Department, organized a scientific symposium titled "Stoic Notions in Rudyard Kipling's 'If'", presented by Asst. Lect. Ehab Mahdi Halwas, and moderated by Asst. Lect. Mustafa Arkan Khantil . The symposium aimed to introduce Stoic philosophy and its practical applications in the poem "If" by the British poet Rudyard Kipling.
A scientific symposium was held at the College of Arts, University of Al-Qadisiyah, on the application of Carl Jung's theory in interpreting the character in the poem by Paul Lawrence, under the patronage of the President of the University of Al-Qadisiyah, Professor Dr. Kazem Jabir Al-Jubouri, and under the supervision of the Dean of the College of Arts, Professor Dr. Nabil Imran Al-Khaldi. The College of Arts at the University of Al-Qadisiyah organized a scientific symposium titled "The Application of Carl Jung's Theory in Interpreting the Character in Paul Lawrence's Poem 'We Wear the Mask'", presented by Asst. Lect. Ehab Mahdi Halwas, and chaired by Professor Dr. Areej Mohammed Jawad . The symposium aimed to interpret the psychological complexes resulting from the prevailing racism in the nineteenth century, which the poet faced after the end of the American Civil War.